New monthly competition?

[PatienceCrabstick]

A while back there was some positive discussion about adding a new monthly competition - highest average score. While I have a personal interest in this, I know there are quite a few other players who would like to see it added too. Admin, any updates please?

[TLAK]

I suggest using the percentage of maximum points, rather than raw scores. If you do only long puzzles you can run up your average points per puzzle, and if you do only short ones you can lower your time for the fastest solver competition. Indexing to maximum points would seem to balance these out. I don't know if the Admin captures each puzzles maximum points in user history, if the data is there, its just arithmetic.

[briang]

I'd also suggest that uncompleted puzzles ding the overall average/are computed as zero scores.
Otherwise this score would be easily manipulable by users bailing on puzzles that are taking too long to complete.

While I am on the subject , this should probably also apply to the fastest solver leader board if it does not already.

[sionnach57]

I guess it depends on what one wants such a contest to recognize -- basing it on the actual average score achieved (should there be some minimum number of puzzles solved to qualify? I agree that not completing puzzles should be penalized) rewards those who choose longer puzzles. Calculating it in terms of the percentage of the maximum possible score might be fairer, as TLAK suggests.

[OldManInNNV]

While I am on the subject , this should probably also apply to the fastest solver leader board if it does not already.

You don't want an unfinished puzzle to count as 0 seconds for the fastest solver leader board: that would make a player's average solving time better, not worse. Have an unfinished puzzle count for something ridiculous like 3000 seconds.

[redpicker]

A better idea, IMO, would be to only make the contests available to those who have a 100% completion rate for the month.

[TLAK]

How about (Points / Time) * Solve Rate.